INVENTOR of the MONTH

Dennis Weatherby: Cascade Lemon Formula Liquid Dishwashing Detergent

Dennis Weatherby’s interest in consumer products began when he was a youngster with his curiosity about how Pringle’s Potato Chips were made to fit in a canister. He also wanted to play in the National Football League.

Weatherby was born in Brighton, Alabama, in December 1959. He was part of a large family that included nine older siblings. His family always encouraged him to follow his dreams. Weatherby won a football scholarship to Central State University, a historically Black school in Wilberforce, Ohio.

While at Central State, Weatherby’s interest in chemistry was stimulated and developed by three faculty members in the chemistry department. “They mentored me,” he says. “Their belief in me motivated me in my studies.” He received a B.S. degree from Central State in 1982 and a M.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton in 1984.

Weatherby went to work for the Proctor and Gamble Company, where he developed the Lemon Liquid Cascade formula. As a process engineer already assigned to the granular brand, P&G selected him to lead the development of the lemon liquid formula. His assignment was to develop a superior cleaning formula that contained an aqueous bleach solution, along with a unique color technology that would be non-staining to dishwasher parts and dishes. Weatherby was successful, and on December 22, 1987, his creation was awarded a patent.

Dennis Weatherby is currently Associate Provost for Student Success at Northern Kentucky University.

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